“Forced conscription, forcing people to the frontlines through violence, is unacceptable. A country where someone is beaten to death during forced conscription is certainly not ready for EU membership,” stated Minister Gergely Gulyas at Wednesday’s Government Info press briefing, referring to the report on the situation in Ukraine presented at the cabinet meeting.
He mentioned that not all EU member states have aligned themselves with Hungary’s firm position so far. “We are especially shocked because the man who lost his life was not only a Ukrainian citizen but also a Hungarian citizen, which means we are talking about a citizen of the European Union,” the minister pointed out.
He added that this is why Hungary proposed that those who participated in and bear responsibility for Jozsef Sebestyen's murder should be placed on the EU sanctions list.
If the EU does not accept this proposal, “Hungary can and will act within the framework of its own possibilities,”
he emphasized.
Gulyas underlined that “this is not an isolated incident,” which is also evident from the Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner’s previous report condemning Ukraine’s forced conscription practices.
